I press play on “Make Magic” by Rising Appalachia (https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=fT0md2tvnhE&si=MdN0cGB55w9teqW6), and I feel the river of possibility flowing through me. The opening question, “In a land of mad takers, can I be a mad giver?” cuts straight to my core . I see myself standing at the edge of this chaotic world, wondering if my small acts of generosity—even in places emptied by greed—can really matter.

When they sing, “Can I swim upriver, keep the air in my lungs / When I hit the dam I’ll break it, and sing to The Ocean,” I’m transported to that fierce determination inside me . It’s the moment I decide: yes, I will challenge the barriers, breathe through resistance, and celebrate the wild beauty that still exists.

The chorus echoes in my bones: “What are we going to do with the Wickeds of the world? Make magic… What are we going to do with the smoke and mirrors? Make magic…” It’s a mantra I’ve been whispering to myself as I sketch, paint, and shape poems for children. Against the backdrop of everyday disappointments and misleading illusions, I choose creation. I choose hope.

I feel lifted by the lines, “I see good people all around me / Acting kindly, acting wisely.” It reminds me that I’m not alone—that there’s a circle of others weaving care and beauty alongside me . The imagery of “the magic in our cookpots” makes me smile—it’s humble but powerful, like sharing a warm meal or a heartfelt poem around a kitchen table .

By the end of the final refrain—“Make magic” repeated like a spell—I’m breathing in its power . It reminds me that each word I write, each brushstroke I lay down, each moment I forgive or give, is a little act of magic in a hungry world.

⸻

Samantha Syrnich TLC

MakeMagic #HeartWork #CreativeRevolution